Tamilnadu Tourism: Thanthondreeswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Thanthondreeswarar Temple, Kanchipuram

Thanthondreeswarar Temple is a Hindu Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva located in Kanchipuram City in Kanchipuram District of Tamil Nadu. Presiding Deity is called as Thanthondreeswarar / Upamanneeswarar and Mother is called as Vandarkuzhali. The Temple is also called as Thanthondreesam, Upamaneesam and Upamanneeswarar Temple. This Temple is considered as one of the 108 Shiva temples mentioned in Kanchi Puranam. The temple is situated in Ekambaranathar Sannathi Street of Periya Kanchipuram (Big Kanchipuram).

Legends

For brief details, please refer below link;

https://tamilnadu-favtourism.blogspot.com/2021/02/thanthondreeswarar-temple-kanchipuram-legends.html

History

The temple was built by Pallava King Mahendravarma I (571– 630 CE) in the early 7^th Century CE based on the sandstone sculptures found in this temple. The temple lost its original form during its renovation.

The Temple

The temple is facing towards east with an entrance arch. The entrance arch has stucco image of Nataraja on top of the arch. Nataraja is six armed and flanked by two bulls. Nandi and Balipeedam can be found immediately after the entrance arch facing the sanctum. The Sanctum Sanctorum consists of Sanctum, Ardha Mandapam and Mukha Mandapam.

Presiding Deity is called as Thanthondreeswarar / Upamanneeswarar and is facing east. He is housed in the sanctum in the form of Lingam. Lord is a Swayambhu Moorthy (self-manifested). Somaskanda panel can be seen in the wall behind the Lingam. Vinayagar, Dakshinamoorthy, Vishnu, Brahma and Durga are the Koshta idols located around the sanctum walls.

Mother is called as Vandarkuzhali. She is housed in a separate shrine. There are shrines for Vinayagar and Lord Murugan with his consorts Valli & Devasena in the temple premises. There are about seven sand stone sculptures on the outer walls of the Mukha Mandapam dated to Pallava period. These sculptures depict the characters mentioned in Mattavilasa Prahasana.

Mattavilasa Prahasana is a short one-act Sanskrit play. It is one of the two great one act plays written by Pallava King Mahendravarman I (571– 630CE) in the beginning of the seventh century in Tamil Nadu. Mattavilasa Prahasana is a satire that pokes fun at the peculiar aspects of the heretic Kapalika and Pasupatha Saivite sects, Buddhists and Jainism.